
Valley Electric Association, a community-driven cooperative in Pahrump, Nevada, applied for a Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) award to provide a solution during hot summer blackouts.
Fish Lake Valley is a remote, primarily agricultural community served by a single-source transmission line operated by Southern California Edison. This 55-kilovolt line runs from Bishop, California, through the White Mountains to Fish Lake Valley. Because the line runs through areas prone to wildfires, Fish Lake Valley is frequently subjected to more frequent and severe power outages.
“With this $80.3 million PACE investment, we'll add 35 megawatts of battery storage to our existing 15-megawatt solar facility here in Pahrump, and a 1-megawatt solar production with a 1-megawatt battery storage site in the Fish Lake region,” said Valley Electric Association’s CEO Mark Stallons. “That means that on red flag (hot) days, instead of being without power because powerlines are down due to wildfires or capacity issues impacting the Western United States, our battery solar energy will run and help power those areas.”

Construction of a backup transmission line to the community has proven prohibitively expensive due to the area's high peak load. Reliable power is critical for this predominantly agricultural community to alleviate the economic hardship caused by power outages.
“The project will be a real benefit to our members,” said Stallons. “It basically reduces our market exposure and risk, as well as power supply, which has been volatile in the western markets.”
To address these electrical outages directly, Valley Electric intends to use the energy storage at Fish Lake Valley as backup power sources for critical town infrastructure, resulting in community benefits beyond the project. This could include the volunteer fire department, the community center, which serves as a gathering place in severe weather, Dyer Elementary School, Esmerelda Market gas pumps, and telecommunications infrastructure.
“Valley Electric has always served the needs of the community,” said Nevada’s District 36 Assemblyman Gregory Hafen. “We recently saw out of communications bringing in broadband throughout the community, and with this award, they will be able continue to provide this community what it needs. And I am extremely excited and proud of each and every one of you.”